Missing: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know (2024)

If you loved the computer screen thriller Searching starring John Cho, you're in luck. A standalone sequel is due to hit theaters next year. If you are ready for a new story that unfolds entirely on a computer, Missing should be on your watch list.

Deadline confirmed in 2019 that a sequel to the John Cho-led film was in the works. The film went into development in the spring of 2021. The director and co-writer of the first, Aneesh Chaganty, returned as a writer, alongside fellow co-writer Sev Ohanian to pen the story. The screenplay for the new film was written by Nick Johnson and Will Merrick. The duo also directed the sequel, showing the creative team behind the first played musical chairs with the roles in the second.

Get ready to cyber sleuth as we journey back into the world of Searching and share everything we know about its sequel.

Missing: The Plot

Before the trailer, little had been revealed about the plot. The trailer gives a better look into what fans can expect for the second installment. June's (Storm Reid) mother, Grace (Nia Long), is headed to Columbia with her boyfriend, Kevin (Ken Leung). While June has a party and spends time with her friends, something sinister happens to her mother. When she goes to pick her parent up from the airport, Grace doesn't show up.

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Armed with little knowledge of what's going on, June reports her mother and Kevin as missing and tries to dig up the truth. She takes her mother's disappearance to the U.S. Embassy, but she isn't pleased with the speed at which their investigation is happening. She decides to take matters into her own hands, using the TaskRabbit imitation GoNinja to have someone in Columbia investigate on the ground for her.

Like Searching, things seem to unravel as secrets about Kevin and Grace are revealed. Ominous voicemails, blocked email accounts, alternate names, and more are uncovered as June, and the investigators dive further into the cause of her mother vanishing internationally. What is lurking under the surface? Will Grace return, or will June's search be in vain?

Missing: The Cast

Storm Reid is June, the teen trying to find out why her mom didn't come home from a trip to Columbia. Reid is known for her roles in A Wrinkle in Time and the popular series Euphoria. June's mother, Grace, will be played by Nia Long. The actress is recognizable for her roles in the Netflix film Look Both Ways and the series Empire. Ken Leung (The Blacklist, Old) is Kevin, Grace's boyfriend, that may have some skeletons in his closet.

Joaquim de Almeida (Fast Five, Queen of the South), Tim Griffin (NCIS: New Orleans), Daniel Henney (The Wheel of Time, Criminal Minds) as Agent Parker, Amy Landecker (Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia), and Megan Suri (Never Have I Ever, Atypical) have also been confirmed as members of the cast. Not all of their character names have been revealed, though the IMDb page does list some. Griffin is listed as James Allen, de Almeida as Javi, and Suri as Veena.

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The IMDb page also lists several additional cast members. These include Thomas Barbusca (Luckiest Girl Alive, American Horror Story) as Cody, Lisa Yamada (Little Fires Everywhere) as Alison, and Tracy Vilar (Maid, House) as Gabi Gomez.

Release Date

The film will hit theaters on January 20, 2023. This is a moved release date; the original was February 24.

Everything Else We Know

Writer Sev Ohanian took to Reddit to hype the film and reveal some tidbits of information. Fans of the film Run, which starred Sarah Paulson and Kiera Allen, may see some closure in Missing. When asked if Ohanian, who was a co-writer on the project, was planning on a sequel, he hinted to the commenter on what to expect.

To be honest, unlikely but if you pay attention closely in MISSING.... you may find out what has continued to happen to those characters in RUN :)

Viewers that caught on to the secret subplot of Searching, in that aliens invaded Earth and government officials communicated with them, are in for a treat. Ohanian confirmed in the thread that the subplot will continue in the next installment. In response to another comment, the writer says it will "go in a really unexpected direction." If you aren't sure where to look for this hidden story, be on the lookout for news tickers, YouTube suggestions, and background news footage.

A commenter voiced concern over the January release date, calling it a "red flag" and asking if the writer is "concerned" about their new release date. Ohanian disagrees with the commenter's assessment.

Not at all. We were slated for Feb 24, but then Sony saw that Jan 20 was wide open and said why not.

Another asked about the use of technology in Missing and how it will differ from that of Searching. The trailer hints at that, like Ring camera footage and additional websites, and Ohanian says the technology used will make sense when audiences see the movie.

While we anxiously wait for January to roll around so we can help June find her mom, check out another mystery you can solve in the coming weeks.